Ministerial foreword

Over a million disabled people contribute to Scotland's
communities and add talent, diversity and richness to our society.
Yet so many people are still unable to make their contribution or
live their lives as they would want because of the barriers in
their way. Our homes, our transport, our workplaces, our public
services and our local environments are all too often designed or
operated in ways that can exclude disabled people. Inaccessible
communication, negative attitudes, low expectations, discrimination
and inequality impact in ways which interact and affect the chances
of disabled people - even to have social connections and human
interaction. This can lead to isolation and loneliness. And too
often, unless we face these barriers ourselves, we do not notice
they are there or understand the impact they can have. So our job
is to work together to remove those barriers. That is what this
Delivery Plan is focused on doing.

This is a job for all of us. It also matters to all us because a
fairer Scotland can only be realised when we secure equal rights
for everyone. When we do that, the lives of each one of us will be
richer, more fulfilling and more secure. The Scottish Government
recognises that we can only find effective solutions to the
problems and barriers faced if we draw on the lived experience of
disabled people, and work with disabled people to develop our
policies and approach to find ways of solving problems and
dismantling barriers.

We are not starting from scratch. There have been significant
advances in areas such as Self-directed Support, in supporting
people with autism and dementia, in strengthening Building
Standards and in our recognition of British Sign Language. We also
continue to support important measures such as concessionary
travel, tackling social isolation and building capacity and
resilience. But it is still not nearly enough. We need to increase
the pace and depth of change if there is to be a real
transformation in the lives and experiences of disabled people.

Many of us will develop impairments through ageing or accident
or ill-health and there is much that can be done to support people
to continue to live their lives to the full. We want to ensure that
all disabled people can be supported to live and work in a place
and in a way they choose.

The
UK Government has
embraced austerity economics, abolished the Independent Living
Fund, cut employability programmes, and pursued changes to our
welfare state which have resulted in the
UN declaring in November
2016 that there was evidence of 'grave or systematic violations' of
the
UN Convention on the
Rights of Persons with Disabilities - articles 19 (independent
living), 27 (work and employment) and 28 (social protection).

The Scottish Government has already taken action to respond to
these harmful policies. We are mitigating welfare cuts with funding
of £100 million a year. This includes fully protecting
households from the bedroom tax - 80% of which have a disabled
adult. We set up our own Independent Living Fund to ensure disabled
people would not be disadvantaged and went further to open the Fund
to new applicants. And we have stated our strong commitment to
support disabled people through a social security system based on
dignity, fairness and respect. The new 'socio-economic duty' too
will require strategic decision-making by public authorities to
take account of, and take steps to address, the economic
disadvantage experienced by particular groups, including disabled
people. And while we do not have all the powers or levers in our
hands to address all the unfairness that has been created, we must
do more with the resources and the powers we do have.

Set out in this Plan are the steps we believe we need to take
towards realising the five longer-term ambitions. It reflects our
consultation and engagement with disabled people about how to
reduce barriers, tackle inequalities and secure equal enjoyment of
their rights as set out under the
UN Convention on the
Rights of Persons with Disabilities. We have high ambitions for the
changes we want to see. We make no apologies for this. Disabled
people have the right to no less. But we also know that the scale
and extent of change necessary for real transformation in the
experiences of disabled people will take concerted action over this
Parliamentary term and beyond. And it will need all of us working
together over the long term. Working with disabled people and the
organisations that represent them, we have identified the specific
actions we will take over the next five years to make significant
progress towards these longer-term ambitions. The direct
involvement of disabled people is essential as we implement these
changes and we will continue our strong collaboration, with early
engagement around priorities and timing.

We need to make our principles come alive in all that we do and
couple them with our determination to make a real, positive
difference to disabled people's lives. Our goal is nothing less
than for all disabled people to have choice and control, dignity
and freedom to live the life they choose, with the support they
need to do so. As the First Minister said:

'We need to redouble our efforts to tackle inequality
head-on, and ensure everyone has the chance to realise his or her
full potential.'